The present invention relates to a device for recoring soil samples and to a method for recoring soil samples in which this device is employed.
Core samples of soil are collected for a variety of reasons. For example, core sampling is an important preliminary in the construction industry. Such core samples are typically taken to determine the ability of the soil to handle water and the type of foundation needed to support a structure.
Core sampling is also important for the agricultural industry. Such sampling is used to analyze moisture content, nutrient content, etc. Another reason for gathering such samples is to determine the extent to which pesticides have affected the soil to which they have been applied either directly or indirectly through application to plants or crops and also to determine whether those chemicals have reached the water table.
Many devices and techniques for gathering such soil samples have been developed and used over the years. Examples of such devices include those disclosed in US Pat. No(s) 3,075,588; 3,162,256; 3,324,958; 3,457,778; 3,631,934; 3,872,935; 3,894,588; 3,964,555; 3,978,932; 4,081,040; 4,458,525; 4,483,197 and 4,653,336. One technique commonly employed today to gather such core samples is to insert a plastic liner into a steel tube which steel tube is forced into the ground for a predetermined depth. The steel tube is then removed from the ground and the soil contained in the plastic liner is removed and analyzed. This commonly used technique may, however, produce inaccurate results if the pesticide residue present at or near the soil surface is carried by the steel tube and/or the plastic liner to the deepest test point.
This same problem exists with each of the devices disclosed in the above-listed patents.
It would therefore be advantageous to have a device and/or method for removing such falsely contaminated soil from a core soil sample before analysis of the sample was begun.